The Illustrated Guide to Thanksgiving Dinner Like You've Never Seen It Before

The Illustrated Guide to Thanksgiving Dinner Like You've Never Seen It Before

The Visual Guide to Thanksgiving Dinner Like You've Never Seen It Before

Thanksgiving Day is not a time to be counting calories—enjoy yourself! But while nomming on a rich meal once a year isn’t exactly a healthy diet deal-breaker, it’s smart to keep an eye on what you’re consuming so you don’t go too crazy with that fifth slice of pie.

According to the Calorie Control Council, the average American chows down on 4,500 calories worth of turkey, stuffing, and cornbread at Thanksgiving dinner. The American Council On Exercise and The New York Timesaim a little lower, saying the number is really around 3,000 calories. Either way, all sources estimate that we eat more in one sitting on Thanksgiving than we’re normally advised to eat in an entire day!

If that data is tough to visualize, here’s a breakdown of what 3,000 calories looks like in a few non-holiday foods.

Graphic by Kim Steinhilber

The moral of this story?It’s possible to cut down a teeny, tiny bit on Thanksgiving (without feeling deprived) and save the amount of calories in four or five Taco Bell tacos. Think about it!

Turkey Day Tips

In years past, we've created a slew of guides and recipe roundups to help you enjoy a healthier holiday. Here are some of our favorites:

This guide includes instructions for how to handle traditional Thanksgiving dishes for gluten-free, vegetarian/vegan, and no-nut folks—we know those are hardly the only diets out there, but everyone can modify these guidelines to suit their own particular eating habits.